squelch

to put down, suppress, or silence, as with a crushing retort or argument.

verb (used without object)

3.

to make a splashing sound.

4.

to tread heavily in water, mud, wet shoes, etc., with such a sound.

noun

5.

a squelched or crushed mass of anything.

6.

a splashing sound.

7.

an act of squelching or suppressing, as by a crushing retort or argument.

8.

Also called squelch circuit, noise suppressor. Electronics. a circuit in a receiver, as a radio receiver, that automatically reduces or eliminates noise when the receiver is tuned to a frequency at which virtually no carrier wave occurs.

Origin

1610-1620

1610-20; variant of quelch in same sense (perhaps blend of quell and quash); initial s perhaps from squash1